Seriously, this technique should be expained on milk cartons or something. It's one of those essential things that every car owner should know, right up there with steering and braking. I first learned this on my '62 Saab two-stroke. On an old car like that, kicking and punching is part of the drill, so it came pretty naturally.

I really have to share this with you: I went on a skiing trip with a bunch of my friends, and we stayed in a house in the middle of the woods in Sweden. To avoid car trouble, I had borrowed my father's '97 Volvo V70 (comfy and reliable). One morning, the car just wouldn't start. Just the "click" mentioned above. We had to tow the car on icy roads to the nearest city to find a mechanic. What do you think he did? Picked up an iron rod, gave the solenoid some tender treatment with a hammer, and the engine started. If only I had remembered that....

If you get the "click", be sure to let go of the ignintion key at once. If the starter motor isn't kicking in properly, you're probably short-circuiting the solenoid, and the battery will run dead in notime.